Stock-car



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. O. HICKS.

STOCK CAR. 7 No. 430,951. Patented June 24, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2A B. C. HICKS STOCK OAR. No. 430,951.Patented June 24, 1890.

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOHN CHAPIN HICKS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HICKS STOCK OAR COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLI- NOIS. J

STOCK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,951, dated June 24,1890.

Application filed March 17, 1890. Serial No. 344,120Vz. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BoHN OHAPIN HICKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDouble-Deck Stock- Oars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of stockcars known as double-deckstock-cars, wherein there is employed a horizontal partition or deckwhich divides the car into two floors or decks. The object of this deckis to double the carrying capacity of the car when used for thetransportation of small animals, like sheep and swine. Since it isdesirable to utilize the same car both for sheep and swine and for largeanimals-such as cattle and horsesit is customary to make the sections ofwhich the deck is composed movable, so that they may be moved out of theway when cattle or horses are to be transported.

The present invention relates to this class of double-deck cars, and hasfor its principal object the employment of the deck-sections in theformation of. hay or fodder storage compartments or bins when saiddeck-sections are not in use for the transportation of sheep or swine.Coarse and bulky foodsuch as hay-is not required for sheep or swineduring transportation, so that provision for carrying such food is notnecessary when the car is divided by the deck for transporting sheep orswine; but when cattle or horses are transported, it is necessary toprovide food-storage compartments orbins in the car.

The present invention consists in forming such food-storage compartmentsby elevating and sustaining the deck-sections (when not needed fortransportation) to a horizontal position beneath the roof of the car ata sufficient height from the floor of the car to enable the car to beused for cattle and horses and sufficiently far beneath the roof to provide a food-storage space or compartment between the elevateddeck-sections and the roof. The car is provided with feed-racks alongits sides which communicate with the storage-compartment thus formed,and doors are provided in the roof of the car to enable access to begained to the storage-compartment.

A secondary feature of the invention consists in means for enablingaccess to be gained within the body of the car between the usualcentrally-located doorways and the ends of the car. This means consistsin a hinged swinging panel or hatchway, constituting a portion of theupperside of the car-body, and which carries on its inner face one ofthe feed-racks.

The present improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein-- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of a stockcar embodyingthe present improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of aportion of one end of the car; and Fig. 3 is an external side view ofone end of the car, showing the mannerof arranging theside panels orhatchways. I

A is the floor-frame; A the side posts or stanchions; B, thebelter-rail; B the roofplates or stringers, and A the roof of a stock-'car.

The roof-frame consists of two sets of carlings or rafters D D setashort distance apart and leaving horizontal spaces a between them, theupper set of carlings supporting the roof and the lower set contributingto the support of the double-deck sections E when they are elevated, asshown in Fig. 1.

' Between each pair of the vertical side posts A near their upperportions, a series of parallel inclined slats b are arranged to formfeed-racks for the animals, the upper ends of each series of slats beingconnected and supported by a cross-bar b projecting slightly within thebody of the car, over which the feed is inserted into the racks from theinside and beneath the horizontal plates or stringers B Along the outeredges of the roof A doorways are formed which afford access to theinterior of the car, and these doorways are opened and closed byswinging doors A When the double-deck sections are elevated, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, they form a horizontal partition across the interior ofthe car,

, or otherwise.

The upper unslatted portions of the feedracks are located above theupper surface of the double decks E when the latter occupy theirelevated position, so that the feed-racks are in communication with thestorage-compartments and may be filled from the store carried by thedouble decks by means of a hay-fork inserted through the doors in theroof. The decks E always occupy their elevated position when cattle orhorses occupy the car, and as these animals are the only ones thatrequire the coarser feed-such as haythe decks will always be in positionto be utilized as supports for the feed when they are so required.

At the proper desired positions on the sides of the car, between theusual doorway A and the endof the car, the car-bodyis provided with aremovable panel or hatchway G for gaining,

access to the car. This panel G is located between two adjacent sideposts A at the upper part of the car, and is hinged or pivoted near itsupper edge, so as to swing outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1. Thisswinging panel carries on its inner face the slats b and crossbar bconstituting one of the feed-racks, so that itis in effect anoutwardly-swinging feedrack. These swinging feed-racks aiford easyaccess to the interior of the car at points between the maindoorway-openings and the ends of the car, which is a very importantadvantage in stock-cars, since the animals are frequently thrown down orbecome inwitnesses.

and provided with feed-racks along its sides,

in combination with double-deck sections which are elevated andsupported ben eaththe roof-frame when not in use to form a double deck,whereby said double-deck sections form the' bottoms of food-storagecompartments communicating with said feed-racks, substantially as setforth.

2. In a stock-car, feed-racks along the sides I of the car, havingprojections extending into the interior of the car, in combination withmovable deck-sections which, when elevated, are supported along theirouter edges by said inwardly-extending projections of the feedracks, andmeans for supporting the inner edges of said deck-sections, whereby saiddecksections are capable of supporting a stock of fodder for the animalsin the car, the spaces above said deok-sections communicating with saidfeed racks, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a stock-car, an outwardly-swinging feed-rack on the side of thecar near its upper portion between the usual doorway-opening and the endof the car, said rack constituting a movable panel in the side of thecar for enabling access to be had to the interior of the car,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing BOHN OI-IAPIN HICKS. Vitnesses:

C. N. WOODWARD, E. J. EDWARDS.

